On the Line
‘On the Line’ tells the story of growing lines, rising tensions, and the power of mutual aid at a community center’s weekly food pantry in the Lower East Side of New York City.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City in March 2020, Sixth Street Community Center on the Lower East Side of New York City quickly pivoted its programming to focus on emergency food distribution. More than nine months later, volunteers and staff continue to gather once a week to distribute boxes of cheese, chicken, hotdogs, and apples to hundreds of neighbors, the majority of whom are Chinese and Chinese-American. Amidst the crisis of hunger, health, and violence facing low-income Chinese and Chinese-American people, ‘On the Line’ explores the stress of adapting to unfamiliar foods, the frustration of hours waiting on line, and the power of mutual aid.
Director: Naomi Schiller
Country of production: USA
Year: 2021
Format: Short Documentary
Tone: Color
Duration: 10'
Original version: English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Spanish
Featuring: The Sixth Street Community Center,
Jen Chantrtanapichate, Maria Muniz, Bo Bao, the people of Loisaida
Producer: Daniel Pravit Fethke
Cinematographer: Kenny Wu
Sound Design & Mix: Brandon Woodruff
Colorist: Dan Debrey
Post-production: Daniel Pravit Fethke
Interpreters & Translation: Chloe Lin, Ziyi Li
The film was made possible with generous support from The Andrew Mellon Foundation Seminar on Public Engagement & Collaborative Research from the Center for the Humanities at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
Watch the full film on Vimeo:
Learn more at Sixth Street Community Center’s Website: